Chapter 678
Chapter 678
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 678
>Chapter Title: Dad
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"Right, I almost forgot. This is your fifth brother—he got back on his own yesterday." Chi Bai Shui introduced his newly returned son to his eldest daughter.
Seeing the tattoos on Yang Kid's body, his eldest sister nodded in satisfaction. "Fifth brother, good to have you back. Are you married yet? Want your big sis to play matchmaker for you?"
"Hahaha, no need for that. This kid's something else—he found himself a wife old enough to be his mom."
After the two of them stepped into the boat cabin, Zhao Xiumei hurried over to Yang Kid's side with a look of terror on her face. Her somewhat cold hand gripped his. "Hubby, this is that rebel cult! Let's get out of here quick!"
A flicker of struggle showed in Yang Kid's eyes, but in the end, he patted the back of her hand and headed into the cabin after them. "I'll see if I can talk some sense into them."
No matter what, they were still his family. He couldn't just let them march straight into disaster without trying to stop them.
With the eldest daughter of the Chi family back home, lunch was especially lavish. But Yang Kid clearly wasn't focused on the food. He was racking his brains over how to persuade his big sister.
"Dad! How much silver do we have left at home? Give it all to me. I'll go grease some palms and see if I can get our whole family on the payroll eating imperial grain."
Hearing this, Yang Kid panicked. He couldn't hold back anymore and jumped to his feet. "Big Sis, you absolutely can't do this! That cult is a bunch of rebels—it's an evil sect! You're pushing our whole family into the fire pit!"
With that, Yang Kid recounted everything: how the cult had besieged Oxheart Village, and all the things that cult granny had done in the county seat.
But the moment he finished, Yang Kid saw his big sister and dad exchange a glance before bursting into laughter.
"Fifth brother, you're still too young to understand. Of course I know they're rebels. But evil cult before the rebellion? What if they succeed?"
His big sister gave Yang Kid a meaningful look and took a sip of her fish wine. "If the rebellion works, it's not rebellion anymore—it's an uprising! And that cult? Not evil anymore—it's the state religion! You get what I'm saying, right?"
"I don't!" Yang Kid shook his head vigorously, his expression resolute. "An evil cult is an evil cult! They've killed tons of people! They treat lives like grass!"
"Ridiculous!" Chi Bai Shui slammed the table in fury. "The officials from the old Shu regime didn't treat lives like grass? They're all the same! We're doing this to get them those big pearl clams! Your mom's ears only went deaf because of you! Better if those bastards get wiped out!"
"The new court's just getting started—they're short on manpower everywhere. If we don't go snag an official post now, you think we can make it big diving for fish and pearls?"
Seeing Yang Kid standing there with clenched fists, the impatient Chi Bai Shui waved him off. "Forget it, forget it. You're just a kid with no hair on your balls yet—you wouldn't get it anyway. Just listen to Dad from now on."
With that, he turned to his eldest daughter. "We'll do it just like you said. I haven't touched a penny of the money you sent back, and your fifth brother brought back a bunch too. Take it all and use it."
Father and daughter both had hot tempers. The moment they finished eating, they got to work. Silver hidden at the bottom of chests and strings of copper coins were hauled out.
Yang Kid's carriage was even pried open, and everything he'd brought back from Oxheart Village was dragged out.
"Don't be stingy—these silver pieces go to your big sis. Have her buy me an official post. Way more useful than sitting on this cash!" Chi Bai Shui said smugly.
Yang Kid held his wife's hand, watching numbly as his belongings were carried out one by one.
He didn't care about the money. It was just that his family suddenly seemed so different from what he'd imagined, leaving him with an inexplicable sense of discomfort.
Shouldn't families love and care for each other? Even something like the Lv Family Troupe would do.
"Dad, this really won't work! The cult kills people! They're ruthless murderers! You're turning our whole family into villains!" Yang Kid made one last desperate plea. He still couldn't bear to watch his family walk to their deaths.
"You little shit don't know jack! In this world, who's the villain and who's the saint? You think it's kid's play?"
They kept hauling things out just like that, until even the carriage and horse were sold off—and no one bothered to ask Yang Kid about it.
Sensing something off, Monkey Kid and Zhao Xiumei quietly huddled by his side, not going anywhere. The joy from before was long gone from their faces.
"Hubby, let's go back to Oxheart Village. This is no way to live," Zhao Xiumei said, urging him for the first time.
Yang Kid looked at his own mother walking toward him with a bowl in her hands. He forced a smile onto his face and went to greet her. "Hold on a sec. Let me think of something."
All day long, Yang Kid's mind was a mess. He'd considered stopping his family by force, but they were surrounded by relatives, and if it came to blows, it wouldn't end well—especially since he couldn't go all out.
That night, Yang Kid lay on his hammock, tossing and turning over the problem.
"Monkey Kid's quick on his feet. Maybe I can have him sneak in tonight and steal all Big Sis's silver? Then they can't join the cult."
Just as Yang Kid started piecing together a plan, he suddenly heard chattering monkey calls from outside. It was a sound no ordinary person could make—only Monkey Kid, who lived like one, could pull it off.
"What happened?" Yang Kid rolled out of the hammock, tiptoeing past his third brother's head and slipping out of the boat.
The moment he stepped out, Yang Kid witnessed something that shocked him to his core: his father and second brother were tying up the three monkey kids with rope and dragging them off into the distance.
"Dad! What are you doing?!" Yang Kid shouted, his voice trembling.
Chi Bai Shui looked up at Yang Kid, not a hint of panic on his face. He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "These three brats—you picked them up on the road, right? They're no use anyway, so might as well sell 'em for cash."
Yang Kid's heart ached, a stabbing pain drilling through him. His lips quivered as he took a step forward. "Dad, I gave you all the money from my carriage—even the carriage itself. Why sell the kids?"
"Too much money? These three look just like monkeys—probably trained. They'll fetch a good price. Once we cash in, your big sis can buy you an official spot in the court. You'll earn it back in two or three months."
Staring at the father before him, Yang Kid felt like he was looking at a total stranger. A wave of fear suddenly washed over him. "Was it really because we couldn't afford food that you sold me back then? Why's he so casual about selling people now?"
Chi Bai Shui ignored Yang Kid and shot a look at his son. The two of them kept dragging the monkey kids away.
"Stop! I said stop!!" Yang Kid planted himself in front of them, eyes free of any hesitation now. He pulled the Rotten Wood Wish-Fulfillment Cudgel from his bosom. "Let them go!"
"Hey! Is that how you talk to your dad? Got an itch that needs scratching?"
"Why! Why! Why did you sell me back then?!" Yang Kid's eyes burned red as he bellowed at him.
"Why? Because I'm your dad! Get on your knees!" Chi Bai Shui rolled up his sleeves.
Their shouting woke everyone else on the other boats. Soon, the rest of the boat folk gathered around.
After getting a quick rundown of what was happening, they started chiming in from all sides to break it up.
"Little Fifth of the Chi family, this won't do. He is your dad, after all. Let him have his way on something this small—you can't be unfilial."
"Yeah, these three kids aren't from our dragon boat households anyway. Sold is sold."
"Alright, alright, that's enough. Hurry up and kowtow to your dad, admit your mistake. We're all family—don't make a scene over something trivial."
(End of chapter)